My feet were frozen.

The holes in my runners didn’t offer any protection from the wet snow seeping into my socks.

But as I looked out at the sight before me, the pain dulled into a tingling numbness.

The water was frozen into a dark inky blue. In the distance I could see fog swarming the horizon.

The ice was smoother than glass, begging me to try and walk on it.

As I took my first step onto the dark ice, a gust of wind passed by.

The sharp breeze carried flecks of powdered snow that hit my face, stinging my cheeks.

But I wasn’t deterred.

I looked up at the mountains before me. The fresh snow covered them like a thick blanket. The branches on the trees were sagging with the heavy weight of the snow.

Everything was quiet.

It was as if the whole forest was waiting in anticipation. I took my second step onto the ice.

Then another.

With every movement made, I got a whiff of the pine trees surrounding me. Feeling more confident I took a few more steps.

I was now completely off shore.

Nothing but a layer of ice separated me from the icy water.

I could no longer feel my feet. It felt like I was floating in mid air.

I took another step.

The wind started to pick up. With it came the sharp feeling of needles piercing my red cheeks.

The scent of pine intensified, I could smell it through the continuous sniffles coming through my nose.

I took another step.

I couldn’t feel my fingers, or my nose, my cheeks were numb to the touch.

I took another step.

I couldn’t see the shore anymore.

For the first time I realized, that the fog that used to be in the distance, was now engulfing me.

The wind blew harder. It was almost as if it was trying to push me back to shore.

But I couldn’t stop.

I took another step.

I looked around me and the trees had disappeared. The mountains were no where to be found.

The gentle quiet that lulled me out here, had turned into a violent screeching in my ears. The wind was howling, telling me to go back. My senses were completely numb. It seemed as if nothing else existed.

I took one more step.

Then, I disappeared into the fog.